Print edition for April 14, 2000

Editorial: Cold War legacy's blemish: Under the proposal unveiled in November, eligible workers would receive a one-time, $100,000 lump-sum payment. But it was limited, only providing compensation for a select group of workers at the Department of Energy's Paducah, Ky., plant and the department's site in Oak Ridge, Tenn. A subsequent eight-month review of the plan, by the White House's National Economic Council, has produced a much better proposal. The number of plants covered and the benefits offered have grown considerably.

Letter: Boot out all who backed Rogich: I suggest, seriously, no one should be able to run for office in Clark County or anywhere else in Nevada without first taking a strict course in ethics!

Letter: Pressure on DOE needed to solve water problems: One DOE program routinely contaminated the ground water, without concern, over the course of several decades. Now another proposes to add more contamination to the ground water.

The Movie Guys: 'Keeping the Faith' strains to mix romance, comedy: Grade: Jeff B, Dave C+.

Judge closes horse-shooting hearing, ponders venue change: Scott Sonner; VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. - A judge rejected media objections Friday and closed a hearing in the case of Nevada's wild horse shootings after saying the trial might have to be moved because of pretrial publicity.

Sound Check -- Geoff Carter: Bands 'shaking and shimmying into the unknown': Every single piece of art doesn't have to be definitive. Every painting doesn't have to be a Van Gogh; every film doesn't have to be "Citizen Kane." "Good," as a quantitative measure, is sufficient; we love David Hockney and "The Sixth Sense" not because they redefined their respective genres -- maybe they did, maybe they didn't -- but because they're good. Think how tedious lightning would become if it struck every single day.

Letter: All kids should play: Ron@lasvegassun.com; I was under the impression that Little League baseball was about practicing, teamwork, playing ball and being part of a team. But I have noticed that every year some child, somewhere is being benched (not being rotated in the lineup) because he/she is not a perfect player.

Investigator comes to defense of detective in kidnap case: Hecht said the case is also being investigated by state officials.

Disparate Jones, Diller still thrill crowds in Stardust show: Joe Delaney; Jack Jones and Phyllis Diller, appearing together through Saturday in the Stardust's Wayne Newton Theatre, are a most compatible combination, with Diller's rapid-fire, laugh-a-line delivery for 30 nonstop minutes followed by a super-relaxed Jones, in the finest fettle, backed by conductor-pianist Joe Massimino and a supercharged full orchestral complement assembled by Johnny Haig, longtime musical director at Caesars Palace.

Columnist Kate Maddox: Get a hunka burnin' love: Kate Maddox; Single? Looking for love? Always had a yen for the muscular hero-type with a penchant for spotted dogs and suspenders? Then turn up at the Nitro Grill tonight at the Excalibur hotel-casino and snag yourself a firefighter.

Vargas KOs Ike from spotlight: Dean Juipe; Looking very Dennis Rodman-esque in his bleached white hair and sunglasses, Ike Quartey could only shake his head in dismay as photographers scurried into position to shoot Fernando Vargas.

Letter: Move doesn't tax drivers: Ron@lasvegassun.com; It's simple. You have no state income tax. Scott Pruett has lived in Crystal Bay/Incline Village for years and Jimmy Vasser moved to Las Vegas shortly after his U.S. 500 payday in 1996, prior to winning the CART championship. He was followed by Richie Hearn and others. I should know (about the tax break), as I just paid my own California state income tax.

Community news briefs for April 14, 2000: The Las Vegas Summerlin Lions Club is sponsoring free glaucoma screenings at three locations. The screenings will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 13 and 14 at the Boulevard Mall, May 17 at Raley's at Lake Mead and Rampart boulevards in Summerlin and May 20 North Las Vegas Lions Clubhouse, 2934 Van Der Meer St. For more information, call 341-7882.

Ralph Siraco's selections for Saturday's races at Santa Anita: 1st Race -- Sasin - Irish bred draws good post on maximum mile turf run, McCarron scales for trainer Gallagher, trip in traffic tells tale. Ashaninka - Flores rides Frankel trainee, needs position in this route, trainer hot on the lawn at this meet. Value Play -- Naughty Hostess

Birth announcements for April 14, 2000: April 4: A girl to Monica Gomez and Hector; a girl to Kristen and Arik Knowles; a girl to Jennifer and Richard Henderson; a girl to Maria and Sabino Gonzalez. March 5: A girl to Wendy Jacobs and Daniel Stovall. March 6: A boy to Angela Walton and Franklin Sharp III. March 7: A girl to Pamela and David Harris; a girl to Darci and David Lund. March 8: A girl to Sheryl and Anthony Patterson; a boy to Melissa and James Ewing III; a boy to Christina and Steven Becker; a boy to Shotzie Thomas. March 10: A girl ...

Reno drummer is 'tour guide' in 'Stomp' at MGM: Kimberley McGee; It's the drone of the construction crane, the swish of speeding traffic, the yelling of taxicab drivers and the bang of metal trash cans as they settle on the street.

Columnist Muriel Stevens: Tintoretto is a baker's delight: Named for Tintoretto, a 16th-century Italian artist, the new Tintoretto bakery and cafe at the Canal Shoppes at the Venetian is already making its mark.

Shelf Life -- Scott Dickensheets: Hungry for essays? Just 'Take the Cannoli': Books can change your life. Sometimes one will bull into your tidy existence, shake your perceptions, reorder your moral universe, stimulate your neurons, squeeze your heart, get you arguing with your dad, make you want to mess some people up. (The Associated Press style guide had that last effect on me.)

UNLV baseball wins 4th straight: UNLV has now won a season-high four straight games. The Rebels improved to 11-25 overall, 4-10 in MWC play. BYU dropped to 22-18 overall and 10-6 in the MWC.

Tribe wants to build second casino near Green Bay: The casino, however, would need to be approved at the local, state and federal levels, and it is not clear whether the project has support beyond Ashwaubenon officials.

UNLV agrees to settlement in case of fired professor: Golberg's attorneys say the university broke its contract with the professor and violated his due process rights. District Judge Nancy Saitta agreed, and the two sides reached an agreement on a settlement for damages.

Municipalities offered money to support casino: The Lac Courte Oreilles, Sokaogon and Red Cliff bands of Chippewa have asked the city's approval for building a casino at a Hudson parimutuel race track owned by the family of Fred Havenick of Florida.

Editorial: Three-ring circus enveloping Miami: To add to the circus-like atmosphere in Miami, movie actor Andy Garcia and singer Gloria Estefan, who are Cuban-Americans, appeared Thursday outside the Gonzalez's home, lending their support to the Miami relatives. Meanwhile, Elian's father waits in Washington to be reunited with his son. No one has accused Juan Miguel Gonzalez of being an unfit father. Indeed, there is every indication he dearly loves his son. It's time not only for the Miami relatives to stop jerking around the legal system, but it also is time for them to return Elian to his father, where he rightly belongs.

Tim Dahlberg named to AP national sports staff: He won the Associated Press Sports Editors prize for enterprise reporting in 1999. This year, he won the Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism from the Boxing Writers of America.

Debate still rages on Lewis' film legacy: Hey, la-a-a-dy! Jerry Lewis is back!

Official: Africanized bees will eventually kill in Nevada: "This is a problem that will not go away," Iverson told the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee on Thursday.

The Reverend Horton Heat singes House of Blues crowd: Geoff Carter; A million mugs and skirts can't be wrong, and they continue to choose Dallas psychobilly outfit The Reverend Horton Heat. Although lead singer/guitarist Jim Heath speaks dismissively of the band's place in this hot-rod culture thing, there's no denying that his band has got pole position.

Where I Stand -- Mike O'Callaghan: Close look at death row: RECENTLY THERE HAS BEEN a storm of protests against the use of capital punishment. Much of it has resulted from the revelation that some people held on death row weren't killers. Several such cases were revealed in Illinois, and as a result the governor has put a hold on future executions. Considering the situation he had on his hands, it was a good decision and cried out for taking a second look at that state's capital convictions.

Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Vasser hopes to keep team's streak alive: LONG BEACH, Calif. -- In addition to being one of the most popular stops on the CART circuit, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach has proven to be a springboard for success in the FedEx Championship Series.

Wine expert dead at 60: Mead, who wrote the nationally syndicated column "Mead on Wine," had his own judging system that included not only quality but price. His goal as a wine critic, a friend said, was to help people find not only the best wine, but the best price.

UNLV's Ware hopes to hear his name: Steve Guiremand; Len Ware has had a tough time sleeping the past few nights.

That's Life -- Steve Bornfeld: Take 2 Tablets and call in the morning: Thou Shalt Honor The Ten Commandments And Keep Them Holy.

Casino regulators get lesson in Internet gambling: Angie Wagner; Internet gambling is banned in Nevada, but regulators in a state in which gambling figures so prominently wanted a crash course on the subject.

Columnist Joe Delaney: Enduring Bennett returns to Circus Maximus: Joe Delaney; Anthony Domenick Benedetto was born in Astoria, Queens, on Aug. 3, 1926 ... As Tony Bennett, he will be appearing through Sunday in the Caesars Palace Circus Maximus, backed by a full orchestral complement, under the direction of longtime piano accompanist, arranger, conductor, selector of songs, and Bennett's good friend, Ralph Sharon.

Tobacco settlement money approved for state programs: State Treasurer Brian Krolicki told the panel Thursday that 6,500 students from this year's senior class from Nevada high schools are expected to accept Millennium Scholarship money and enroll in the University and Community College System of Nevada in the fall.

'M*A*S*H' co-star shaken by Linville's death: Just last month Larry Linville, the actor who played Maj. Frank Burns, enjoyed a mini-"M*A*S*H" reunion with former cast mates Gary Burghoff and Mike Farrell. The trio was taping a remembrance of the acclaimed sitcom for a television special.

Teachers to receive 2% pay hike: The package is expected to cost $12.5 million.

Workers to be added to DMV: The governor moved to reduce waiting times after problems with the agency's new Project Genesis computer system, launched in September, resulted in long lines and delays of several hours for people registering cars and getting licenses.

Mom sentenced for child's scalding death: A North Las Vegas woman, who tearfully told a judge she loves her children, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the scalding death of her 2-year-old daughter.

Vegas commercial real estate market grows, cools from '99: Phil Levine; A survey of Las Vegas' commercial real estate market predicts the industry will continue to flourish this year, although not at the breakneck pace set in 1999.

Psychics hope to commune with Binion: Stacy J. Willis; Mr. Binion are you out there?

Democrats to beat drums for HMO patients: Benjamin Grove; Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., stops in Las Vegas today as part of a Democratic Party road show designed to draw attention to health care reform.

Metro cop charged with Idaho bribery: Keith Paul; A Metro Police lieutenant is charged with bribery stemming from a June traffic stop in Idaho where he allegedly offered $2,000 to a state trooper to avoid a drunken driving arrest.

Jurors see a change in Murphy: Ted Binion's estate lawyer resumed testifying today after helping prosecutors present a videotape showing a dramatic change in the demeanor of Sandy Murphy one day after the wealthy gambling figure's death.

Tax preparation is offered next to gambling at casinos: David Strow; Given a choice, most Las Vegans would probably rather spend this weekend playing the slots than filling out their IRS tax returns.

Dental school funding still sore subject for lawmakers: CARSON CITY -- Records from the 1999 Legislature show that the driving force behind the UNLV dental school said the project would not need state money but could be funded from other sources of revenue.

Death row inmate's appeal is denied: CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Thursday rejected the appeal of death row inmate Henry Dawson, convicted of the beating-strangulation death of a 24-year-old woman in Las Vegas.

Bankruptcies: Patricia M. Lewis, formerly doing business as Elite Auto Sales, 4365 El Como Way, filed for Chapter 13, listing assets of $52,707 and liabilities of $184,777.

New thrift opens in Las Vegas: Located at 7161 South Eastern Ave. near Warm Springs Road, the thrift opened this month with an initial capitalization of $4.8 million. Philip LaChapelle is the company's chief executive officer.

Would-be limousine operator loses again: In a case attracting national scrutiny over alleged monopoly practices in Las Vegas, the Transportation Services Authority of Nevada again Thursday refused to issue a limousine operating certificate to a limousine driver who has battled since 1997 for a permit.

Stock rises despite shortfall: The stock price in part was bolstered by Harrah's separate announcement that its board authorized a stock repurchase of as much as 10 percent, or 12.5 million shares. This is in addition to a 10-million share buyback program already in place.

Board upholds fine in asbestos removal case: An air pollution review board refused to grant an appeal Thursday from a contractor who botched an asbestos removal job at a former public housing complex and received the largest pollution fine in Clark County history.

$1.1 bil. budget OK'd for schools: Terry Webster; A tentative $1.1 billion budget for 2000-2001, a 7 percent increase over this year, was tentatively approved Thursday by the Clark County School Board.

Builders, homeowners at odds over no-lawsuit provision in contracts: Diana Sahagun; The widespread use of "no-lawsuit" clauses by the building industry promises to be a hot topic in the 2001 Legislature.

Money approved for release of inmates to Drug Court: CARSON CITY -- A legislative committee Thursday agreed to release $138,750 to start a program that frees state prison inmates early to enter Drug Court programs in Las Vegas and Reno.

Henderson residents protest apartment plan: Valerie Miller; A request to expand the number of apartments in their development and move them nearer to their single-family homes inspired nearly 40 residents to come before the Henderson Planning Commission Thursday evening.

Bankruptcy filed by LV call center owner: Spokeswoman Michelle Gorel said the move would not affect the approximately 400 employees at the company's Las Vegas call center.

Ocean Spray closing Cranberry World West tourist attraction: Phil Levine; Ocean Spray Cranberries said Thursday it will close its Cranberry World West tourist attraction in Henderson after five years of operation.

Lawmakers call for action on bees: CARSON CITY -- State legislators, who were told Thursday that the threat from Africanized honeybees will continue to grow, called for more steps to be taken to protect the public.

MGM, Station, IGT get analyst upgrades: This morning, Bear Stearns gaming analyst Jason Ader upgraded International Game Technology from "neutral" to "buy," setting a price target of $28 to $30 per share. He issued an earnings estimate of $1.54 per share for the year 2000.

NFL lobbyist defends stance on betting: Gerard Waldron, a member of Washington law firm Covington & Burling, was at the commission to discuss the pros and cons of legalizing Internet gaming. His appearance came just one day after the NFL said it was promoting a congressional ban on NFL wagering.

Obituaries for April 14, 2000: Homer Floyd Arnold Jr., 67, of Las Vegas died Thursday in a local hospital. He was born March 24, 1933, in New York. A resident for 17 years, he was an electrical engineer and an Army veteran.

Pros, cons of Internet gambling outlined for regulators: David Strow; Nevada gaming regulators took their first hard look at the world of Internet gaming at a workshop Thursday -- but it was clear Nevada is still far away from taking any steps to legalize online wagering.

NLV rec center OK to be revisited: Diana Sahagun; North Las Vegas City Council members Wednesday will vote whether to reverse their vote from a previous meeting to move forward with plans for a new recreation center.

Development off to sluggish start: Erin Neff; Developers of the Campaige Place housing complex downtown said they are committed to other projects in Las Vegas despite the initial slow leasing at their flagship venture.

Columnist Dean Juipe: Will extra cash really aid tourney?: Dean Juipe; Among the rewards Vijay Singh took home for winning The Masters last Sunday was a check for $828,000.

Thursday's prep results: Cimarron-Memorial 12, Cheyenne 2: Dave Seccombe went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Brian Ashton connected on 3-of-4, scoring two runs.

Letter: Little Al not done yet: Do you know how many race car drivers are older than 37 in Winston Cup? How about in the NHRA?

Construction defects alleged: Glenview officials declined comment on the allegations.

6,500 students expected to use Millennium Scholarships: CARSON CITY -- An estimated 6,500 high school students, or about 40 percent of this year's graduating class, will use Millennium Scholarships to Nevada's universities or community colleges, state Treasurer Brian Krolicki predicted Thursday.

Letter: IRL woes? No wonder: Ron@lasvegassun.com; I went to the first IRL race in Las Vegas. I was a fan of the Indy cars. I spent good money on tickets, pit passes and so on. My goal was to shoot pictures of the cars and drivers.